The suspect and his mother have had prior domestic disputes in the past despite a recent reconciliation, a source told News 4. He officially resided in Suffolk County, but he was transient and stayed in various locations in addition to Long Island.

Nicholson had a criminal record and was on probation, the source said. He had just accepted a plea deal for a drug possession charge.

There have been other police shootings in New York City during the first two weeks of the new year.

Police said they shot and killed a man who fired a gun into a lounge and turned it on officers in Brooklyn on Jan. 4, hours after shooting to death another man officers said came at them with a large knife and shrugged off a stun gun blast in a Brooklyn home the night before.

On Jan. 6, police said officers shot and wounded a man who drew a gun on them in Staten Island